Catching Fire Chapter 21 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Katniss urges the others out of their sleep, yelling that they have to move quick.

Finnick takes Mags and runs. Katniss pulls Peeta along, explaining what's happening with the fog. She has a brief thought of self-survival, thinking she should just go by herself, but she conquers it and goes on with Peeta.

The fog burns and is poisonous. Finnick and Mags have gotten ahead of it, but Katniss and Peeta are struggling. If they get trapped in the fog, they'll die.

Katniss realizes that the fog's poison works as a kind of paralyzing agent. Peeta's really affected and has started to slow down even more.

They keep struggling, but it's getting bad. They can't control their bodies. Finnick returns and takes Peeta, while Katniss helps Mags.

Katniss realizes how much she needs Finnick. He takes the lead as they try to escape, directing them back down near the water where they first entered the arena.

Katniss has been badly affected by the gas. She doesn't have the strength to carry Mags any longer.

Finnick is slowly being affected by the gas, too, and it's all he can do to take Peeta.

So Mags sacrifices herself. She turns and heads into the gas, succumbing almost immediately.

The other three can't save her; they have to get out of there and protect themselves.

They go as far as they can before they collapse.

It's OK, though, because the fog has stopped chasing them. They don't know why, and they don't really even care – they are alive.

They see some monkeys nearby and head to the water. Jumping into the water is incredibly painful, but it's somehow healing. She and Peeta take off their clothes and withstand the pain. Slowly, the poison drains out of their bodies.

Finnick can't bear it. He's collapsed nearby. Slowly and tenderly, Katniss and Peeta bathe Finnick until he has revived. It takes a long time.

Peeta goes to tap a tree for more water. Katniss wonders why Finnick and Mags have been so protective of them.

Katniss and Finnick soak in the water for a while and start to feel better.

But suddenly things get dangerous again. They're surrounded by monkeys, and they look mean.

Katniss tries to signal Peeta to retreat back to the water without setting the monkeys off.

He almost makes it, but then the monkeys launch a violent attack upon them. Katniss realizes they're not real monkeys, but mutations created by the Capitol.

The three humans fight desperately. They're running low on weapons and Peeta is suddenly vulnerable. A monkey mutt attacks him.

Before Katniss can get there to save him, one of the other tributes, a morphling (a kind of drug) addict, appears and throws herself in front of the monkey. She saves Peeta's life and is fatally bitten by the monkey.